outfit post – Page 2 – tide & bloom

form and function

Well.. it happened. I bought my first jumpsuit of the year and we’re only a month in! But really, I just couldn’t help myself. Because I own so many jumpsuits, when I try a new one on it needs to check all my boxes. This one does.

First off, comfort. This loose fitting style is basically a sack with a tie to define the waist so it feels like I am wearing PJs. This also makes for an easy fit; I’m 5’4″ and I often have to get petite sizes for the just-right cut. But this I was able to get a standard and still have a little ankle showing.

ladycrush: becky

Describe your style.
I’m often told I dress like Annie Hall, and I guess I’m cool with that (although I don’t think I’ve ever worn a vest with necktie). I like modern, structured silhouettes and tend to stray away from prints unless it’s a stripe or a polka dot. Maybe that would make me “preppy”? I wear whatever makes me feel good!

Do you have any style icons?
Not really…is that weird? I admire people who dress for themselves and are confident in doing so.

the warmest winter

You’re probably well aware by now that this has been the warmest winter. I write this as the sun is beating down outside and the temp reads somewhere in the 60s. I will never complain about Spring weather coming early (except that I’m not into this whole climate change situation) but I’m just a little disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to wear these new boots for just a little while longer. I got them from Target for $20. How.

I typically have a tough time with shoes, but I mean.. don’t we all. I have even worse trouble with boots this high; I can never find ones that hit the right spot and also have the right heel and also don’t look like hooker boots. The color of the grey faux suede is probably what did it for me. And I also can never wear boots all the way to my knees because it’s just not flattering. Trust me.

bomber girl

I’m starting to wonder if I’m slowly becoming addicted to jackets. Perhaps it’s my style continuing to evolve or perhaps it’s just the chilly weather – I don’t know. What I do know is that the jacket section of my closet is growing and I don’t know how to get rid of any of them. I love them all! And yet, I still don’t feel like I have a jacket for every occasion.

This one is my newest addition and I’ve been wearing it almost every single day.

style in review

For most bloggers and creative makers, December is when there is the most social media activity. Holiday gift guides, giveaways, vlogmas and the like. But if you’ve been following me at all then you know that I also work as a retail manager full-time so that means for the month of December (and well into January too) – my focus is on being merry for others IRL and preserving my energy for that part of my world. Hence, I’m going to commence the year in review! First up is my style.

These are my favorite looks from the past year and yes, they’re all from Anthropologie. As you can see, I am a lover of a little flair – whether it be in the pattern or silhouette. The older I get the more I gravitate towards length (even in summer) to accentuate my features. That way my look is less about skin and more about my face and how I carry myself. A little bit of confidence goes a long way.

And don’t get me wrong, I wear separates just as often as I wear dresses.. I just happen to take more photos of the dresses because of their wow factor. Next year I’ll try to mix it up more and showcase assembled looks instead of all just statement pieces.

electric love

The clothes I buy fall into two categories. The first being versatile basics – the moto jacket, the turtleneck, the black pencil skirt, etc. The second is the “I can’t live without this” category. The combo of these two categories make my closet wearable while still having a stylish edge. Women typically overthink their outfits and make it much more complicated than it really is, but after enough practice you begin to see the formulas pretty easily.

I don’t consider myself the fashionista that people think I am. It’s really more about knowing what works for your body shape, skin tone, and age. Like I said I’ve had a lot of practice since I work in retail (having to dress stylishly every day) so I’ve had the advantage of being able to try out many different silhouettes and trends. This moto jacket I’m wearing here – which you’ve seen before since I’ve worn it all of fall – has literally worked with almost anything I put it with. The color is neutral yet rich and is cut in a flattering and feminine shape.

tiny dancer

I wasn’t sure what else to title this post because every time I put on this cardigan, I think of Penny Lane from Almost Famous. “… and if you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends”.

the new basics

If you’re into fashion at all, then you know that everything that was once out is now in again. With that said, all your favorite “basics” are getting a retro makeover to take it over the top. The silhouettes and materials are getting deliciously indulgent and the normal rules need not apply anymore. I officially own at least 3 velvet pieces. Yes, we’re officially there now.

This outfit is the perfect example of the new throwback basics you didn’t know you needed in your closet: the culotte aka cropped wide-legs and the cropped over-sized sweater.

They can be worn together for a dramatic look or with more tried-and-true silhouettes to take it down a notch for those of you who feel intimidated. I promise you that both of these can actually work for you, depending on how you style them.

The sweater would be perfect for any high-waisted anything. For me, I’m planning on wearing it mainly in the following ways:

with a black pencil skirt for a more conservative feel
with high waisted flares and a rancher hat for another totally 70s vibe
over spring dresses that I want to take into the fall

The possibilities are really endless. For example, I’m sure someone could rock it with a miniskirt and tights but that’s just not my jam.

The culottes! Oh, the culottes.

sunday comfort

Does social media ever make you feel inadequate when you get dressed to go enjoy your day off? Being a “blogger”, I know this feeling all too well. Since I follow so many amazing creatives, I have a bad case of comparison envy and often have to snap myself out of it. It’s never a full picture of reality and it’s often the product of an hour of makeup application and another hour of taking photos just for that one shot.

Anyways all of that is to say, I wanted to show you an outfit that I ACTUALLY wore for an ACTUAL Sunday off in my real life. Our day’s plans consisted of breakfast and strolling around for Sunday In the Park (see previous blog entry) at Oakland Cemetery. More often than not, this how I actually dress for my days of ease and comfort. What you typically see in my outfit posts is how I dress for work and for blog photos. Full disclosure, I work at Anthropologie and so yes, it is by definition my job to dress well.

Everything I’m wearing in these photos are items I got for a steal, that I happened upon due to sheer luck. My hair is second day waves and I couldn’t be bothered to put in contacts or wear any makeup. Luckily there was a slight chill in the air and I was having a pretty good skin day. All I needed was a delicious latte from Octane and I knew my day was gonna be awesome.

there’s a chill in the air

If you were ever in doubt of what your closet might need for fall, it’s almost all here in this outfit. Every single piece of this look can often be found with every other piece I wear. A moto style jacket, a pullover sweater, black stretch denim, and booties. I put them all together to show you that casual doesn’t have to mean sloppy. The neutral palette from head to toe keeps it simple, but chic. I got so many compliments in this outfit, but not like about the actual clothes – all the comments were like “you look really good” or “you look really pretty”. This tells me that I wore the outfit, not the other way around. I’m confident that almost anyone could pull off this look, and in varying tones of fall colors like creamy whites, maroon, forest greens, and navy.

And let me tell you about the non-Anthro accessories which go so well with this look. The sunnies are from Urban Outfitters, and I’ve worn them nonstop all year long. I’ve even bought different colors for different moods! The lovely asymmetrical gemstone threader earrings are made by a dear friend of mine, Stone + Arrow.

sweater / jacket / citizen denim / boots
earrings by stone + arrow